In this part of our web guide, we will focus on swimming, as a recreational activity or a sport.
Swimming has long been a popular activity, presumably going back to prehistoric times. As a recreational activity, swimming is enjoyed by people of all ages, and, for many of us, it was an integral part of our childhood. Whether in a pool, lake, river, or ocean, swimming is an excellent form of exercise. It provides a low-impact workout and engages nearly every muscle group, improving cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, and endurance. As a recreational activity, swimming is affordable and accessible.
Beaches, community pools, and waterparks are popular places where families and friends gather to enjoy the water and socialize. I grew up in a rural area of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and we had Lake Michigan, at least a dozen other lakes, a spring-fed quarry, ponds, three rivers, and creeks within easy bicycling distance, the smaller of the three rivers bordering my parents' property. I don't even remember learning to swim, so I must have been taught to swim at a very young age. I didn't know anyone who didn't know how to swim.
Swimming is a core activity in several competitive sports, including artistic (synchronized) swimming), lifesaving, relays, swim races, endurance swimming, and medleys, which are races where swimmers use four strokes (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle) in a single event.
The butterfly stroke is known for its difficulty. It features a simultaneous arm movement paired with a dolphin kick. The backstroke is performed, of course, while on your back. This stroke involves an alternative arm motion similar to freestyle but with a flutter kick. The breaststroke involves a frog-like kick and a simultaneous arm pull, where the hands scoop the water in front of the swimmer and then push back. Freestyle is also known as the front crawl. Swimmers alternate their arms in a windmill motion while kicking their legs. It is the fastest and most efficient stroke.
Many people who have not been trained in swimming will resort to the dog paddle, the most intuitive and the first stroke young children learn. It mimics how dogs swim naturally and is characterized by straightforward, instinctual movements. It is a helpful survival stroke, allowing a swimmer to stay afloat and move forward with minimal energy expenditure.
When I became a Boy Scout at age 11, I could swim a mile (later extended to two), but I still had trouble earning the Swimming Merit Badge. We had to learn the side stroke, the trudgen stroke, the trudgen crawl, the overarm side stroke, the backstroke, the breast stroke, the American crawl, and the back crawl. To pass, we had to demonstrate proficiency in the side stroke, the backstroke, and any one of the others, swimming 150 yards, divided into these three strokes. There were other requirements as well, but they weren't any problem. I had trouble with the side stroke, perhaps because I couldn't see any practical applications for it other than as a rescue stroke, and then the focus wouldn't be on form. The breast stroke seemed to be more trouble than it was worth, and I never learned that one properly.
This was in the early 1960s. Today, Boy Scouts must swim for 150 yards using the front crawl or trudgen for 25 yards, the back crawl for 25 yards, the sidestroke for 25 yards, the breaststroke for 25 yards, and the elementary backstroke for 50 yards. I guess I wouldn't stand a chance today.
There are notable differences between open-water and pool swimming. Pool swimming occurs in a controlled environment, often with set lanes and distances, whereas open-water swimming involves natural bodies of water with variable conditions. In competition, open-water swimmers must navigate through sighting techniques to stay on course, while pool swimmers follow lane lines. Open-water races are typically longer and require greater endurance than those in a pool.
Topics related to swimming are appropriate for this category, whether as a sport or recreational activity. However, swimming products will be listed in the corresponding category in our Shopping & eCommerce area.
Some water sports will be covered in other areas. For example, water polo would be covered under Ball Games, while aquathlons, aquabiking, and triathlons are covered in our Multisports category.
Recommended Resources
Founded in 2003, The Race Club is an organization dedicated to improving swimming techniques and performance through professional coaching, swim camps, and online resources. Founded by Gary Hall Sr., a former Olympic swimmer, the Club offers a variety of services, including its swim camps in Oceanside and Coronado, California, private coaching lessons, and online memberships with access to instructional videos, personalized training plans, and online shopping.
https://theraceclub.com/
Founded in 1869, Swim England is the national governing body for swimming, diving, water polo, open-water swimming, and synchronized swimming in England, forming part of British Swimming, a federation of the national governing bodies of England, Scotland, and Wales. Club, Teach, Coach, and Swim School memberships are highlighted, along with information about outdoor swimming in the United Kingdom. Swim schools, partners, and club member resources are discussed.
https://www.swimming.org/
The national governing body for swimming sports (water polo, diving, artistic swimming, para swimming, and masters swimming) in South Africa was founded in 1909. SSA's history, constitution, bylaws, policies, and committees are highlighted, along with a calendar of events, educational programs, training resources, news, and access to various documents and forms. Results from 2020 are featured, and their addresses, telephone numbers, and fax numbers are included.
https://swimsa.org/
Swimming World is a US-based quarterly swimming magazine that was first published in a magazine format as "Junior Swimmer" in 1960. It concurrently runs the online websites, "Swimming World Magazine" and "Swimming World News." Topics included on the site are Olympics swimming, meet schedules and results, swimming news, an aquatic directory, sponsors, online subscriptions, and contact data. A mobile application is available from the Apple App Store and Google Play.
https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/
Launched in 2012, SwimSwam is a swimming news organization covering competitive swimming, along with diving, water polo, and synchronized (artistic) swimming. Writers publishing articles on the platform include staff writers and topical contributors. The website also compiles a list of swim-related jobs, and ranks NCAA recruits and recruiting classes. The organization launched its quarterly print magazine, "SwimSwam Magazine, in 2016. An online store is included.
https://swimswam.com/
Created in 1960, USA Swimming is the national governing body for competitive swimming in the United States. It is responsible for selecting the U.S. Olympic Swimming team and any other swimming teams officially representing the United States, along with the overall organization and operation of the sport within the country. The organization is headquartered at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Schedules, events, and ticket information are provided.
https://www.usaswimming.org/
The international federation, recognized by the International Olympic Committee, administers international competitions in water sports. It is one of several international federations that administer a given sport or discipline for both the IOC and the international community. Founded in London in 1908, it is currently headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. Its structure, members, partners, sports, a calendar of events, results, and athlete profiles are provided.
https://www.worldaquatics.com/
